creche

‖n. [ F. ] 1. A public nursery, where the young children of poor women are cared for during the day, while their mothers are at work. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. a day-care center for young children. [ PJC ]

3. a three-dimensional model of the scene described in the Bible at the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable at Bethlehem, with Mary and Joseph near a manger in which a model of the infant Christ child is lain, and usually including figures of animals, shepherds, and the three wise men; -- also called a Nativity scene. The figures in the scene are typically made as individual statues or figurines. Smaller models are displayed in homes and other indoor locations during the Christmans season, and larger models, often life-size, may be displayed out of doors. [ PJC ]

4. (Biol.) a nest where the young of several animals are cared for in a communal fashion. [ PJC ]